Associate Director in Birmingham

M·E·L Research is a social research agency, with expertise in research, evaluation and behavioural insights. With 40 years’ experience in working for the UK’s public services, we have a very strong focus on what we want to achieve as a business. We believe that all businesses have a duty to be socially responsible to re‑invest in society, be active contributors to the local community, and to minimise their environmental impacts. We push for social value – in why we work, how we work and who we work with.

Formed in 1985, M·E·L Research has grown steadily to a core in‑house team of over 30 research and evaluation staff, plus many more telephone interviewers and external CAPI interviewers and support staff. We are on an exciting growth journey, expanding our research and insights capabilities, enhancing our evaluation services, and embedding our data visualisation tools alongside recognised quality accreditations. Joining M·E·L Research means becoming part of a confident and forward‑looking company, ambitious about the future and committed to broadening the expertise and solutions we offer our clients. At the heart of everything we do is our social purpose: to make a meaningful and lasting difference to society, to the communities we serve, and to our own people.

As a result of successful period of growth, we are seeking an experienced and commercially minded Associate Research Director to play a pivotal role in both delivering high‑quality research and driving business growth. You should have both quantitative and qualitative research experience. This is a senior position combining:

• Leadership of complex, high‑impact research programmes
• Development of client relationships and new business opportunities
• Management and development of a high‑performing team.

You will be equally comfortable leading delivery on major projects and winning and shaping new work, contributing to the continued growth of M·E·L Research. We would be particularly interested in talking to individuals with experience of one or more of the following:

• Continuous customer experience research (CEx)
• Audience and behavioural insights
• Arts and culture
• Working with clients in partnership over the long term to implement/embed change.

In this role, success will be defined by your ability to:

• Deliver high‑quality, impactful research projects on time and within budget
• Build and grow trusted client relationships, leading to repeat and expanded work
• Contribute to business development, including winning new contracts and achieving sales targets
• Develop and support team members, strengthening capability across the organisation
• Enhance M·E·L’s reputation through thought leadership and high‑quality outputs.

We offer employees a wide range of generous benefits including:

• Flexible working arrangements based around the needs of the employee (such as family commitments/needs/childcare).
• Provision of employer contributions to Royal London personal pension scheme starting from a 4% contribution and rising to 8% (subject to employee contributions that meet the auto‑enrolment requirements)
• Paid annual leave allowance of 33 days per annum, including bank holidays (pro‑rated for part‑time hours), and your birthday
• Life assurance policy at 3x basic annual salary
• Health cashback medical care scheme and employee benefits scheme inc. retail discounts
• Eligibility for annual company profit and performance bonus scheme dependent on company performance
• Annual pay reviews and cost‑of‑living pay increases (also subject to the company’s financial performance).

Be a resident in the UK and have the right to work in the UK. Have in‑depth knowledge of how to design and deliver high quality quantitative and qualitative social research using a range of methodologies. Be used to working in a fast‑paced environment, juggling projects, bids and management. Have a track record of producing insightful analysis that makes a real difference to clients. Be able to use their experience to support the professional development of more junior team members. Coaching/mentoring skills are essential. Have experience of managing teams and direct line reports working in a hybrid/remote way, pro‑actively managing resources and workloads. For this role we are looking for someone who can take ownership of ensuring projects across the team are delivered to time and to quality. Have a strong record of business development, proposal writing and pitching. Have a track record of working in a way that aligns with our values.

M·E·L Research is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all sections of the community and value the diverse perspectives this brings to our work.